IS never fails to impress. This piece hasn't come out of my septum since the day it arrived in the mail. Super polished and shiny, it put my old cheapie 14g CBB to shame. I was pleased to find the same diameter in 12g that I was wearing in 14g this thing is on my face, and its essential that it fits right, isn't too intimidating, and doesn't overwhelm my pretty face. This small diameter wasn't even available in the economy circular barbells.

In a pinch, I'm even able to remove the balls and tuck it up for the professional look, though make sure you don't misplace your balls if you do that, though replaceable, they're valuable!

That said, ten extra bucks or so is totally worth the difference between the economy jewelry and the IS it means no irritation from a poor finish or a low-quality metal, and a pretty shine. Also, the balls stay screwed on when tightened with no problem, basically, when you're certain of the size, buying IS means you're buying jewelry you can put in and never worry about again.